Reading Mi
Location: Guangzhou, China
Client: Shenzhen Friendship Book City Co., Ltd.
Area: 2500sqm
Background
“Reading Mi” is a cultural concept bookstore founded by the
"Yoyi Book" brand in 2014. Every store integrates reading, cultural
creations, coffee, parent-child, social activities and other diversified
formats together. The business positioning of "family / middle class"
aims to provide a new cultural space for urban families.
Concept
Located in the open atrium space of a shopping mall in Foshan,
China, this bookstore faced the challenge of an on-site space to create a haven
of calm amidst the hustle and bustle. The brand name '覔' is an ancient
font, which means to explore and seek. In Chinese culture, the concept of
'hidden' is endowed with the philosophical connotation of wisdom and life.
Where there is a blank and invisible place, it often shows the most sincere
existence and hides the deepest peace, which becomes the design concept of this
project. The design team pushed to create an introverted, holistic environment.
Under the warm background tones, different spatial functions are defined by a
series of abstract book-flipping gestures.
Entrance hall
The entrance hall is like a "hall of knowledge", with a
roof made of wooden slats, hanging high in the sky like an open book in the
shape of a herringbone. This double-height space serves as a starting point for
customers to purify their minds and is particularly conducive to contemplation,
while those on the upper floors can also glimpse the endless books and
treasures below.
Theatre
A multifunctional 100-seat open-plan theatre extends from the
entrance hall, with a white-stone stairway that shields the activities by the
roof shape of a half-open book, providing a calm and relaxation space for
casual reading, press conferences and group study activities.
Retail Zone
The dimly lit comprehensive retail area and the symmetrical
arrangement of book displays provide a tranquil shopping environment for
knowledge exploration. The ceiling sculpture inspired by paper art further
enhances the humanistic atmosphere of the overall space.
Family Zone
An independent area of geometric curves provides a calm and imaginative
reading space for children and parents, and the semi-open bookshelves are
placed with thousands of age-specific picture books and themed children's
books. The central courtyard space equipped with theater lights provides a
platform for family interaction to experience storytelling and drama
performances, allowing parents and children to spend a quiet time together.
